Sheep breeder wrote: » Was a sheep meeting back in the day and frank Crosby was at it and a guy asked the question about his ewes lacking milk and what was the problem and frank answer was simple Hunger. We are using a 20% ration at 270 in the yard and always have the ewes strong before lambing, a weak ewe can’t lamb,milk, and rear lambs.
wrangler wrote: » [ always did well with Flynns( mullingar) they've sold the business now and I've changed to Grennans , Hopefully it's good now, it reads well 330 delivered in bags
charolais0153 wrote: » Changed to grennans from kiernans this year. Big difference from soyabean at 5th on the list to top. Mineral content is lower than the likes of nutrias or kiernans though so had to buy a few bags of loose minerals
wrangler wrote: » There'd be oats in most rations, no need to add oats. Do you scan and divide the multiples from the singles, IF you don't you'll get big lambs if you feed the singles and triplets the same amount
Buford T. Justice V wrote: » Nice man, Frank, but he must be near 80 now?
Lambman wrote: » Doing a bitta reading up on housing sheep there last nite before housing today and one thing keeps popping up is putting sheep in prior till lambing reduces gestation length could this be true?
White Clover wrote: » Charollaois ram here too. The longer they stay in the ewes this year the better, with the way the weather is! First ewes tipped on 10th Oct, when could I expect lambs?
charolais0153 wrote: » First week of march
wrangler wrote: » Yea, as I said it reads well, Use a lot of meal here so they get loads of minerals, I'd be feeding 30% more meal to compensate for the straw
White Clover wrote: » What rates are you feeding now wrangler if you don't mind?
wrangler wrote: » Adults Doubles and triplets 1.4kg/day Singles .9kg/day Yearlings Doubles 1.25kg/day. Singles .9kg/day These were all increased very gradually and are all in three feeds.
roosky wrote: » I assume they are only getting straw along with that?
wrangler wrote: » Yea, 80 getting a round bale every three to four days
Hard Knocks wrote: » Would you give as much if they were on grass?
roosky wrote: » wrangler Your system seems very simple.....in a good way ! So my general feeding would be feed twins from seven weeks out, rising from 0.2 kg to 0.7/0.8 kg/day If I used your system I think you said before you would give 0.5kg to replace the silage/hay so that would be 0.7kg rising to 1.3kg /day??? A few questions, if you don't want to answer them I understand: 1. do you make any silage at all, 2. How long are they housed, 3. have you any idea how much straw you use per ewe 4. how much meal do you end up feeding as in kg per ewe. My last two questions are based on the fact im sick of feeding silage and want to try your approach but just want see the cost implications. Thanks.
charolais0153 wrote: » Why are u sick of feeding silage?
razor8 wrote: » Just done a few match box calculations. My indoor feeding regime is about 60days pre lambing as ewes away on winter grazing until mid January If 200 ewes are fed 0.5kg extra to substitute silage for 60 days @280 a ton = €1620 200 ewes using a bales of straw a day @€;22 a bales in this end of country for 60 days = €1320 In that 60 days period 200 ewes would eat 60 bales of silage at a cost of €14 a bales is €980 Bedding straw for that period, this is costing me €18 and il use 30 bales = €540 So straw plus meal is €2940 Silage and straw is €1520 That’s €1420 extra cost working out @€;7.1 a ewe Still a significant difference but obviously I could stock more ewes to acre if making no silage. Could I keep extra 40 ewes on same land selling 1.6 lambs €100 a piece would be an extra €6,800 without costs. At a cost of keeping a ewe €100 that’s €2800 in the bank It’s a head scratcher!!
